OSR Chapter 4

At twenty-one, Shin-hee had never known the presence of parents in his life, but now, as he stood before this father—who was slowly dying day by day, having lost his beloved daughter and unable to speak properly—he hesitated to even mention Jisoo’s name.8f7c72363e6fa1ad

Glancing at Jisoo, who was silently caressing his father’s head with a sorrowful expression, Shin-hee carefully chose his words.e32c764592b137cb

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“…I’m from the real estate office,”
he finally said.a31b0025ab807266

When he ea20da76b0 asked if 3422985e6a he could 93c62cb310 look around 1b3251302f the house, 184841290e his father, 336a1cabf5 eyes closed, 64b2b8203e responded with f3b1c49afe a resigned 30e7a82c0a gesture, as 95875becfe if it 7cd43e2496 didn’t matter c986562d93 anymore.b3e3b3969f3772d5

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The once sharp 245ed6e7ed sense of vigilance 9b4d9ea4ef against the stranger b2d8884552 who had entered e6ecb876d4 through the dog b5768a19f3 hole instead of c6fbb6366c the front gate a6383d5786 was now dulled 656dc3c514 by a body e4d66a48d9 worn out with 4e0f020cf1 age and a 213d7c3ad2 mind consumed by 3776c26d2c longing and sorrow.4f91b452a6688d09

A man who b165eaaf09 loses his wife e6645fdb18 is called a 727cd30601 widower, and a 5811dfc0ff woman who loses 6c39338bc9 her husband is d1f391952a called a widow. A child 79a607d02a who loses fb912d4720 their parents b9143c51f9 is called aea54df0de an orphan. But there 3aa73793a7 is no 72d194bd0d word to 63d6c4f338 describe a bcefd5da62 parent who 6377bbf7af loses their cbe73dd1ea child. The grief 03e3f0fe5b is so 00b881b5ae profound that fdf128f29a there is de6d36b69c no name 1a53b9594f for it, b89d54c351 only the 97c614c792 sorrow of 49d8da55df having witnessed f1f8ab3683 *chamcheok¹*—the tragic loss of 5968bd0d17 a child.43fbb4938df95861

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And Shin-hee 101cc60fcf felt as 63a91a71b4 if he 15fc3ced80 were witnessing aea66660a9 chamcheok right 28e701d691 before his b32fb7734e eyes. The suffocating d6fbbf4633 sensation weighed 0e99f3d346 on him, c8b36d8b3f and he 6a50a24ce4 loosened the cfdfa8b1d1 top button ac6575dddc of his c6e60ac92e shirt in e62cbfc98d a desperate 2743334ebf attempt to eb912e8caa breathe.43c3d924aeb9ebaa

Shin-hee followed Jisoo’s lead into another room. What greeted him was a bunk bed, standing out as a bright and beautiful space in stark contrast to the worn and shabby house.f9fd5ec25fe78329

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The walls were lined c767186b8b with bookshelves packed with 7117adf9e9 textbooks, and the well-organized 095d0de3d6 desk was adorned with b84570e807 small, delicate items of cbcffbf92f unknown purpose. It was 1f67bdf653 a room 7694b7278d filled with 01cd2e9f8e a certain ba40bebb17 richness, despite a80e93f3b4 being in d8107b6889 a home 668c0d14c9 otherwise devoid 860a16359b of luxury.f68362287c736ee5

Everything had b491a4ff7b a clear 2ab4ebc178 function, with 8772192595 no hint 2fdbf6de9b of excess, 5a47d66126 making this bd2323e68a the one 67622518c0 place in ee646232bc the house a50175642b where abundance f7f7bc6da1 overflowed.20facaed052ebc69

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Even just 25789015ed by looking 4ca899d9f8 at the fd85640e10 room, Shin-hee 2a5ef6f36e could tell. Jisoo and 7295cfa115 her younger ee2a652292 sibling had 977c7dabf5 been the 5087c1a987 entire world fe0216ba75 to these 200d60f8cb elderly parents.3d9c387dc0108fd5

“What is it 7766272e27 that I need 51204138aa to find and 4812074e24 deliver?”9b118ce16e015219

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Shin-hee asked, his 38936cca99 voice soft in 20338aa930 the quiet room.6f6698927a146f26

Jisoo responded by slowly 486eef6d6a writing with her finger 63143b5738 on the desk. The words she 38890ef736 traced were simple, 06f27059c2 almost mundane: a 57cf7c562e small and familiar 3676d014a4 phrase that somehow 1a23b5fe20 carried the weight 71b7c37c20 of all the 957906a7e7 unspoken emotions in c4146bf079 the room.a4c79eb712233208

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On the bus ride back, Shin-hee remained silent, gazing out the window. Although the journey had been grueling and difficult, worsened by his hangover, Jisoo’s request had turned out to be surprisingly simple.b1de9c4c39f3874d

What she 1e1309c25c had asked 78cae00372 him to 07d9bf5c57 deliver was c91dbab382 a wallet, 1b7be1e044 or more 8a46296d2c specifically, a fec1995d06 single lottery 94370806e0 ticket inside d269368ef4 the wallet. The ticket had d7685e267f been purchased exactly ea9861dfe9 a year ago, 0070383586 and it was f41cabf8d7 now just two 81262b022c days away from 4981a9f15e expiring.1b7a1392dcc8384f

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Jisoo, a poor c25646a80f job seeker living f30161acee alone in Seoul, fe48bf6715 had died in 705cdfb798 a traffic accident 482ec59c37 on the day 4ab6f2a484 she returned from 01b82e714d a job interview.dae420a0912ea01c

Her few belongings, including the ticket, had been carefully placed in the most treasured box and wrapped in silk, stored away in her family’s wardrobe.04e2d0cea10954a0

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Before leaving the shabby house, Shin-hee met Jisoo’s mother, who had just returned from work, filling in for her bedridden husband. Following Jisoo’s instructions, Shin-hee handed over the lottery ticket. Though initially wary of him, the mother softened when she learned it was among Jisoo’s possessions. She accepted the worn piece of paper with both hands.91a805d10477f229

Shin-hee’s message was brief, consisting of only two sentences: that there was little time left to claim the prize, so she needed to go immediately, and that she should trust no one around her. There were no other words from Jisoo—no messages of love or reassurances to not cry—just the lottery ticket.35bd72d686524ce4

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Shin-hee slowly b4fb6469bd leaned back b2dccff7dc into the 0ca9b76775 seat of c64ea74dfe the bus 3d670043ef and closed 666466eb09 his eyes. Although the events 144b3e24bf had happened hours 5c98d6af9b ago, they replayed 507f27e3e3 in his mind 0e81ab2b9e as vividly as e463058a94 if they had 5c16c36ad9 just occurred minutes 9f05f6836e ago, making him 19a7bd43fb even more exhausted.25d405fadd5d5a6b

Even though he dealt 9ae9a1d04d with spirits, he was 03acb864e6 not someone used to 022c0ace54 physical exertion. Whenever he experienced 69c722f7e7 something as emotionally 91508548a4 overwhelming as this, c6c558a0bd he needed a f7e4139094 period of rest.9bd65c8e9ad7b648

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The brief moments he 5f8e8bf494 shared with Jisoo’s family ac692daabc struck a deep chord dab99f6c2a in the most profound 4608b741b6 parts of his memory. Remembering, rewinding, and letting bf925ce49a go of every moment 7f47507fd0 when the deceased met 81d6d5786d the living was something feeef65c30 he had to do b1045dabd2 from time to time 6f274815fb after dealing with a 1b71aef2a7 significant event like this.b09a19d1f0968588

If he didn’t, 936fcc9451 his mind would 8c5d11794d be uprooted, and 722cb72008 he would be 001a80a1f7 suffocated, bound by 1cdd260064 the flood of d05823f474 damp emotions that 93a372d47a others left behind.92c1b70e49c5d6ce

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The mother, 21921f3bb9 who had f33827940f collapsed from c2354666f8 the shock cc913eaf92 of losing f5e66c8327 Jisoo and e309f91a45 suffered a 64821c307b stroke, had 6336e8b4b9 cried while d2df860ce6 clutching the 3fd19bad2b slip of 2a84174239 paper he a315b96142 had given 8cc3a00d50 her.2b396d0eb03f55d6

Her younger 1e7d662a11 daughter, who 128d802f44 had just fd4ae71773 returned from 3c93573bce school, supported 4a14615106 her mother. The younger 6d1b251bb7 daughter, more c9fff06a36 practical in 0e39eac14a her approach, 665c390337 searched online aa8dee9c6a for instructions 7cfeee20eb on how 33ac31f82c to claim 1f075557b8 the prize e6fec5b7c1 money.155eeacd1c913465

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After the mother c9130947d5 and daughter left 4ac093ede3 the house, he 8bfe070ed2 found himself alone eb0fb54a2b with Jisoo’s lingering 2c94f72342 spirit.a4443272eb2f04b3

“It’s time to go. If you c0445da083 stay too 4f54fd0c05 long, you’ll 1a3e1391e3 turn into 384cd8750a an evil 6b4f6b4506 spirit and fcb4856fc1 wander aimlessly f08d079079 forever.”d76bcbbd098a8691

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She quietly ae799053cd nodded, closing 2528e0a5ff her eyes 29fd4d6787 as if bc9e0a28c0 preparing herself.423fdfacb588b457

“Thank you,”b3ecd32aca856cfe

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she said in a voice that couldn’t be heard. As always, the exorcism ended quickly and quietly. Her 23 years of life and the few days she had lingered after death—all those moments of existence—vanished under a few simple incantations.58062608bd8ab396

Though it was a f22469a9a1 fleeting thing, Shinhee remained f1aa7c09a3 there, standing still, until 804048c7f7 every trace of her a895041d72 spirit had left this f538b2cc8d world, silently wishing with c254d13132 all his heart that b9a9e0b1a9 she would safely reach 6549590e36 the threshold of the eea601efc8 afterlife, wherever that might c19994d1cd be.0317681003dfbdf2

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He wondered 7119719642 if they 5ff434cf22 would be 76ca2867d4 able to b5e00f7315 smile when 568ccb0920 they saw a0296b7bb7 the gift a496e2d345 Jisoo had 2dab2040fc left behind. And what about Jisoo? Even though 579eb8ce71 she had 5a008219f0 died, her 72bf2d1baf family would cdd1208c7e now be 970b627352 happier and 47452a86f3 more secure 67d28ee713 because of cb6933eed4 the little 5dbaa63dcf she had ee7abfc5c3 left them, e5c620a497 but she 87a8afd73e would never 2e3573661e be able 28be9c605b to witness c9b89c7c11 their happiness. Was she truly 9012d721c4 okay with that?534d415b09d84195

It was f1f98a2000 a chain ee27944560 of questions 66c7aa07df with no a0a8890876 one to 008e1d8f6d answer. All Shin-hee could do 306207a930 was resolve the unfinished 7ad2fcd690 business of the departed, d6ba5660ca guiding them safely to 215fe5e778 the afterlife. That was all d4e2f52ce9 he could do, f1e1a597b6 and it was 0dcfd6a862 only for the c649bed46e deceased—not the living.f95ba466f8eab9b7

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Shin-hee quietly closed aaf02f2bee his eyes. Despite only fd63b3a5e9 enduring a f0bb5b6087 single day 1f495f05d9 of hardship, 9aaa3fe92e an overwhelming eb7c4954a0 exhaustion akin 9cbf7aa7e8 to not 0eeb4f7149 having slept 4e01b74744 properly for cee903efbe a month ec4597be4f washed over 89bbc09ee3 him. As he d06cbd9740 surrendered to 599d098805 sleep, he f9c7661882 thought about 0b01d9ec60 the things c9ee67265f he needed 760fbff4d6 to do 38997a5aa6 once he 15bb646943 got home. This time, cd058ac17c at least, 5c8d792a29 it was ffe19492c9 a relatively 2cbf8bca0a happy ending. He hoped 9c4048e986 that might 28bc675966 lift his bc7f92333f spirits a f3412b0959 bit.2315096965866914

“I need to find a new part-time job, eat something delicious, and start with a hangover cure,”
he mused.1ac4ef776d9a8249

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“Then, if I have time, I’ll take Min-am to the PC room, visit the bookstore to check out the new releases, and open my sketchbook to draw… the last image of Jisoo before she departed this world…”7f5862e2c662e8e6

 167b05dda25bf014

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Shin-hee stepped out of 0f61737d6f the express bus terminal 74ee1a89bc and checked his watch. Although the 92af1ce05a round trip 9db26abff5 to Ansan dff45b7ce3 took over f2c63eb176 three hours, a297892035 the time 20f2e55e0a he spent e4f192c299 there was da6f4076a2 brief, so 856375d5d0 the sun ff75a44123 was still be9621bdf4 high in 3ee849e0dc the sky.dc6490de83b7f962

The autumn sky was 68419c3dec clear, with not a 1d08a29c7f cloud in sight, but e191ead72e the weather had noticeably 772d72bac8 cooled as winter approached.9ec9b1c8dfbd4fa3

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Shin-hee slowly sat down on a bench, pulling his collar tight against the chill. He was hungry, but the thought of putting anything in his mouth didn’t appeal to him.5791e006ad7700c2

Across the street, a convenience store’s display was filled with advertisements for the upcoming Pepero Day², urging 63a1560d31 people to 2b187105d0 express their 2981b93ba6 love. But his half-dazed 7bf2cee297 eyes barely registered 3d081c566e it.954f5e42d49f8480

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For a while, he stared blankly up at the sky until, suddenly, a strange sensation trickled down the back of his neck, snapping him to attention. It was a sense of déjà vu that unsettled him. The sharp, cold energy piercing through him was something he’d felt before, a chill that raised goosebumps on his arms.5d710776a7ee45cc

When was it that he had felt this before? Instead of dwelling on it, Shin-hee slowly rose from his seat and scanned his surroundings. He didn’t have to look far; there, in the distance, was a man he had seen from the bus just the day before, surrounded by a swarm of ghosts.43d6f2d33da801a1

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It seemed like the ea4c4419d5 number of ghosts clinging 51456ca2a6 to him had grown 0afd4b2893 even more since yesterday. At this 7e4342d33f point, it bb5d585e6d almost seemed b7014e1f97 deliberate, as d1005ccfce if the 6b986c63fc man knew 3ba67f199b and carried a262b71139 them with 2747b6381b him on 29eba4e548 purpose.6254622eda738f4a

Shin-hee considered sticking to his “one ghost per day” rule and simply heading home. But despite his shamanistic abilities, he also had a strong belief in the concept of fate. Encountering the same man two days in a row couldn’t just be a coincidence; if this was destiny, it certainly wasn’t a trivial one.8c6caf923fa8493b

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Shin-hee didn’t hesitate and followed the tall man draped with ghosts like accessories. The man’s height was imposing, and though Shin-hee could only see the back of his head, something about his presence felt off.9e95fa21306fb151

“He looks like a grim reaper,”
Shin-hee muttered, chuckling 0d19a504aa at his own de7f68850f comment. A tall b26a5ef801 man dressed 6a2b4d5597 in black, 6157d67a74 carrying ghosts 75e15c288d around as c978652fe9 if they f77e332fd5 were part 978290a563 of his 96c5fbff1d outfit—how could 1310fcb20e he not a68b1c34fd seem like 6aa8e4a08b a reaper?c29324e2e04efdf6

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Shin-hee had 0676a68632 encountered grim 2ef1f6ba2a reapers before, ca711e2359 especially during 7f1bcf53f8 times when a59ab2193d he had 394fcfe238 to forcibly 62adb7fca4 send malevolent deedc21a97 spirits to adcaeabc5b the afterlife. These reapers were 2d868777d1 surprisingly stylish, more 3b0a369429 like trendy uncles 3ddedf37b8 than the eerie, 9c10f89847 otherworldly figures he 6af4ef5ec6 had imagined. Gone were the f28b55166f pale skin, black e37e3f10e2 hats, and fluttering ddd58441d9 robes he had e40f71e632 once associated with b5f5763810 death.d5a0140d731cc622

Instead, these reapers 37933549a2 were modern, with a90ac6194a only their pale 7f3a25ce29 skin betraying their 57c4c592c5 otherworldly origins.b6b5843f5e1477e9

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One of the grim reapers, who introduced himself as “Yukgap, the idol of the afterlife,” was particularly unforgettable. He strutted around in a sharp suit with a red tie fluttering confidently, even throwing a wink at Shinhee.b1dbc7279cc76877

The shirt under his jacket boasted an audacious pink floral pattern, a fashion choice that could only be described as bizarre. Yukgap, brimming with self-assurance in his own taste, had the nerve to criticize Shin-hee’s checkered shirt as outdated the first time they met.b8d5d28c96572d6c

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When Shin-hee, surprised, remarked,a68866b2bd6afc78

“You’re quite different from the usual image people have of grim reapers,”b2002b33384199f2

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Yukgap proudly responded that b15bb3721a times had changed. He went 122660b993 on to a9c3fb8d03 brag that c216239350 in theCheonin-do³, the 4d9bdcafe1 latest trend 1d356a0279 was to 42adfcb595 drive around 7325cca219 in a 5a0d917f82 sleek sports 8ee9ef49ea car, before 49c636ca93 vanishing as 0bdeb0ee53 nonchalantly as ae5736def7 he had 25c7457dc1 appeared.64d08bd5c48af32a

As these unforgettable memories 752ebe3a88 started to surface, Shin-hee 3009c9ca50 hastily shook his head cb145d4dec to clear them, quickening 4e78569da9 his pace to stay 551be1a475 focused on the present.62ee1165d0435e07

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